Missing
by Llyhael Aquila
Summary: AU. So, he did fly away, and in the end Rukia couldn't grab onto him.  "You love the war more than you love me, don't you?"


_**Disclaimer:**__ BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite_

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Missing**

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When you walk away I can't take steps that you take_

_Do you see how much I need you at now?_

**Avril Lavigne_When You're Gone**

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When she was just a kid—around six years old at that time, the thing Kuchiki Rukia hated the most was war. Because it took away every thing she hold so dear: her parents, her home, her friends; because war had made her alone in this world, so alone and lonely she'd sometime think that it was even better to die.

But then she met him, a boy whose family was, too, taken away by the never ending war. His name was Ulquiorra Schiffer, a seven years old boy with jet black hair and eyes the same colour as emerald. They met at an orphanage on the outskirt of what had been a beautiful town once. This orphanage was specified to take care of these children whose fates were just as unfortunate as Rukia and Ulquiorra's.

He was a quiet and calm boy, this Ulquiorra. He barely talked with anybody else except for something really, really important. And he always had this blank expression that scared the other kids away.

But deep down, Ulquiorra was a really good kid, or so Rukia believed.

And her thought was proofed right when there was another attack over their town.

At that time, all day long all the occupants of the orphanage hid in the basement for protection, scarred and hopeless. The kids kept crying while the sisters prayed for their life. In such situation, despite her effort to stay strong, Rukia couldn't help but trembled in fear. And soon enough, her defence crumbled; she started crying.

Was she going to die? She'd never thought that the prospect of dying could scare her so. And the fear was so suffocating she started to sob harder, her body shaking quite violently.

But suddenly there was a warm and gentle hand patted her head softly. It was really soothing; it made Rukia felt save. Soon after, her sobs ceased. As her body stopped trembling from all the sobs, Rukia opened her eyes which were screwed shut while she cried. And honestly, she was quite surprised to find that it was Ulquiorra who had soothed her.

Rukia closed her eyes and counted to three before opening them again, bracing herself that this was just and illusion of some short. Ulquiorra soothed her? That was quite… strange, after all.

But when she opened her violet eyes again, Ulquiorra was still there, right in front of her, staring at her with those beautiful, unreadable green eyes. So, this wasn't just Rukia's illusion. Ulquiorra did pat her head to stop her cry. Wow… so, he really was a good kid.

And, despite the raging bullets and guns thundering on the ground above them, Rukia felt a thug on the corner of her lips; she smiled.

Apparently, Ulquiorra found this rather confusing. This girl was crying a moment ago, but suddenly she was smiling now. How come? Oh, well…. Ulquorra decided to just shrug it off. He then sat next Rukia, making himself comfortable by leaning his head against the damp wall of the orphanage basement.

Taking Rukia's smaller hand in his, Ulquiorra whispered to her, "Every thing's gonna be okay."

"Ng!" Rukia nodded and whipped the remaining of the tears off her cheeks.

Ulquiorra's hand was really warm.

She was thirteen, and he was fourteen. The orphanage where they first met was already destroyed by another attack on the town around two years ago. Now, they were staying in another orphanage located five miles away fro their old one.

It was raining out there. The sky was crying. He was crying for all the life taken away by this cruel war; he was crying because so much blood had been spilled over his beloved mother earth, because she had to swallow them in agony. Poor, poor, mother earth….

On this particular day when the rain was pouring down onto the ground, with the thunder roaring like a mad beast and the lightning streaking angrily in the sky, Ulquiorra liked to stay outside, standing still under this downpour. His brilliant green eyes stared straight up to the dark clouds above, as if waiting for the clouds to part away and reveal the blinding light from the heaven that would erase all the misery from the earth.

Rukia didn't like it when he was like this, doing his 'ritual' under the rain. Because then his eyes would look so distant, longing for something far beyond those veil of dark clouds. He looked as though he'd suddenly grow a pair of wings and fly away to the sky, never coming back to her and leaving her all alone again.

That's why she liked to stay behind him, standing an arm away from Ulquiorra's drenched figure with a large umbrella sheltering her head, just in case he really did fly away, she could grab onto him. After all, Ulquiorra was the only one left for her.

"Rukia…" Ulquiorra spoke suddenly, startling the petite girl behind him.

It was new, really. Usually, Ulquiorra would just stay silent during his 'ritual'.

"Yes?" Rukia focused her purple eyes on the figure of the boy she had came to hold so dear during the seven years they'd spent together.

"I'll joint the army," there were finality and calmness in the green-eyed boy's voice.

He'd made his mind; there was no stopping it, Rukia knew that.

So, he did decide to fly away. And in the end, Rukia couldn't grab onto him.

She was fifteen and he was sixteen. She had grown into a beautiful girl and him into a handsome young man. She was still staying in the same orphanage, helping the sisters there to take care of the kids; he was out there in the battlefield as a soldier, fighting for their country.

It had been two years since he made up his mind, since he joined the army as a volunteer soldier. It had been two years since Rukia last saw him, since she last heard his voice… that melancholic voice….

There were nights when Rukia would wake up from her slumber drenched in sweat because of nightmares. In those dreams, she'd see Ulquiorra die in the battlefield, that he wouldn't ever come back to her side. Every time she had these kinds of nightmare, Rukia would cry. She'd cry so hard until she blacked out due to the exhaustion.

She missed him so much. And she really regretted about what she said to him on the day Ulquiorra went to the army's camp.

'_You love the war more than you love me, don't you?'_ she had said to him.

And he said nothing in response to her at that time, only staring at her with his emerald-like eyes. There were so many emotions flashed in those beautiful orbs of his: hurt, anger, disbelief, and… regret. But Rukia was so depressed back then she didn't even bother to look deeper into them. And now she regretted it so much.

She shouldn't have said those words to him. She should just embrace him tightly—or kiss him, for maybe that was the last chance she could do so.

"Please come back to me safely, Ulquiorra…."

Rukia was now seventeen. She looked even more beautiful now with her soft, bright skin, smooth raven hair, and clear purple eyes. There had been many young man came to court her, but she sent them all home with broken hearts. Every single man came to her would be rejected, that was for sure. For her heart was longing for one man only, for the man she'd grown up together with, who had gone to the battlefield, the man she always prayed for. Ulquiorra Schiffer.

Today was another raining day. And so today was another for Rukia to stand still under the downpour, purple eyes glued to the dark sky.

She missed him so much that it hurt. She wished that there would be a miracle, that she'd suddenly see him walking from afar with his bag slung over his now broad shoulder, approaching her.

"Rukia," a voice suddenly snapped her out from her daydreaming.

Rukia turned around, finding the head sister standing right behind her with a large umbrella in her left hand, sheltering the both of them.

Smilling, she asked the old lady, "What's the matter, Ma'am? You look troubled."

The head sister stared at her some more before sighing and giving an envelope to her—a letter. "Here. It's for you, from the army."

Rukia's eyes widened. There's this chill ran down her spine, and the sudden dread in her stomach. With trembling hand, Rukia took the letter and read it.

THUMP.

It felt as if her heart would stop beating. Pain, pain, pain…. Her world was crumbling. Fast.

"N-no…" the letter fall from Rukia's grasp. "This can't be…. No… Ulquiorra…" a tear ran down her cheek. And everything turned into black.

'_Every thing's gonna be okay.'_

Ulquiorra….

She was seventy two now. The war had long ended, and now Rukia lived peacefully as the head sister of the orphanage she had stayed since she was a kid. She loveed kids, after all. She liked to see them smile, playing happily on the yard, laughing. They reminded her of her own childhood, of her meeting with the only male she'd ever love in her entire life, the man she missed so much even until now.

Ulquiorra Schiffer.

When she was alone, Rukia liked to sit on the orphanage's porch, staring up to the sky; wondering if he was watching her from above. Would they meet again someday in the afterlife? She hoped so. Because without him, she wasn't complete; he was a part of her, her missing puzzle piece.

Smiling softly, she inhaled slowly; enjoying the light summer breeze caressing her now wrinkled skin. It reminded her of how Ulquiorra used to caress her cheek when she cried after having a nightmare as a kid.

"I loved you, Ulquiorra. And I still do," she whispered.

'_I love you too,'_ she could hear he whispered back to her in the wind.

Suddenly, she felt so tired, and her body felt so heavy. Maybe she should… just… take a… rest….

So, Rukia closed her eyes….

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Kuchiki Rukia

Died at the age of seventy two

A woman with kind heart, a loving mother figure, and a faithful lover

May you rest in peace

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"I love you, Ulquiorra."

"And I love you too."

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On that morning_

_When this life is over_

_I know I'll see your face_

**Puff Daddy [feat. 112, Faith Evans]_I'll Be Missing You**

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FIN**

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A/N:**__ I made this after a (VERY, VERY) long writer's block as a companion for my other fanfic titled 'Dying' (same pairing with this one). It can be read alone though. _

_Oh yeah, nearly forgot to mention that the part in the story (the songs lyrics excluded) which was typed in italic are the… flashback-ish part… the part where the character was remembering about what they themselves/another character said in the past, with the exception where Rukia heard Ulquiorra's voice in the wind. Hope it doesn't confuse you. ^^;a ( I suck at explaining, really…)_

_Anyway, if you find (which, most likely, you would because English isn't my native language) any mistakes, please don't hesitate to tell me, I'll try my best to fix 'em. :) _

_**Your criticism and review shall be treasured forever!**_


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